Community Foundation grants boost Teach For America

NEW BEDFORD — Five funds of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts have each made $5,000 grants to support Teach For America's work in Southeastern Massachusetts as part of a $5 million match campaign made possible by an anonymous national donor.

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Posted Jan. 2, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 2, 2013 at 5:08 PM

Posted Jan. 2, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jan 2, 2013 at 5:08 PM

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NEW BEDFORD — Five funds of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts have each made $5,000 grants to support Teach For America's work in Southeastern Massachusetts as part of a $5 million match campaign made possible by an anonymous national donor.

Grants were made by the Acushnet Foundation, BankFive Foundation, Crapo Foundation, Jacobs Educational Attainment Fund and the Women's Fund, all of which were matched for a total of $50,000 towards Teach For America's local efforts.

"Teach For America is incredibly grateful for the local support we've received from the New Bedford and Fall River communities," said Josh Biber, executive director of Teach For America in Massachusetts, said in a news release. "This generous support, along with the warm welcome our teachers have received from their colleagues, students, and neighbors, has enabled us to join the local effort to give every child an excellent education."

"One of our strategic goals for the next few years is to improve educational opportunities through grantmaking, resource development and community leadership activities," said Craig Dutra, president of the Community Foundation, also in the release. "We're pleased to make these grants to Teach For America in partial fulfillment of this goal, and fully support their efforts to improve educational attainment and opportunities in Southeastern Massachusetts."

Teach For America recruits college graduates and professionals who commit two years to teaching in underserved schools. While the organization has been in existence for 20 years nationally, it was launched in Massachusetts in 2009 with 170 teachers, known as corps members, teaching in communities including Boston, Chelsea, Revere, Lawrence, and most recently Fall River and New Bedford

This fall, Teach for America welcomed its second cohort of teachers and leaders to Fall River, and launched a new partnership with New Bedford Public Schools, with 30 corps members now teaching in the SouthCoast region.

Corps members are now teaching in seven New Bedford public schools and nine Fall River public schools, the release said.